Overview
Industrial Relations 308: Occupational Health and Safety is a three-credit, senior-level course that examines issues of worker health and safety (and life and death) within their political and economic contexts and in the workplace. Over the past three decades, the field of occupational health and safety has grown and developed, and an extensive amount of scientific and technical knowledge on the subject has accumulated. Nevertheless, conflicts among practitioners and scholars on even the most basic questions still persist. These disagreements are driven by inherent differences in interest and power between workers and employers (or labour and capital, if you will), which together form the conditions of industrial relations. Scientific arguments often disguise the real debate, which concerns the value attached to preserving the life and health of workers in the workplace. Occupational health and safety cannot be examined without also considering the power dynamics that operate both within and around the job.
Evaluation
To receive credit for IDRL 308, you must complete two online quizzes and two written assignments, write a final examination, achieve a minimum grade of D (50%) or better on the final examination, and obtain an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) on the entire course. The weighting of the composite course grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Telephone Quiz | 10% |
| Two Online Quizzes (10% each) | 20% |
| Two Written Assignments (15%; 25%) | 40% |
| Final Examination | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Foster, J., & Barnetson, B. (2016). Health and safety in Canadian workplaces. Edmonton, AB: Athabasca University Press.
Other Resources
All other materials are also available to students online; including a study guide.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the IDRL 308 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent)on the examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form